| Press Release |
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| October 20, 2005 |
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Governor Kulongoski Honors Fred Meyer Stores for Contributions to Ending Hunger in Oregon Through the Fresh Alliance Program
As part of Harvest Week 2005, Governor Kulongoski transported food from a grocery store to the Oregon Food Bank; honored Fred Meyer Stores with the Mahonia Food Industry Award for Hunger Relief
(Salem, OR) – Today as part of Harvest Week, Governor Ted Kulongoski helped transport perishable food from a Fred Meyer store in Portland to the Oregon Food Bank as part of the Fresh Alliance program, and honored Fred Meyer Stores with the Mahonia Food Industry Award for Hunger Relief – a new award as part of Harvest Week to recognize a member of Oregon’s food industry for its commitment and contributions to ending hunger in Oregon.
“When I took office in 2003, I committed to making certain that every Oregonian knows that people in our state are hungry – and the good news is that over the last three years, not only are more Oregonians aware of the hunger issue, but together we are making a difference in the hunger rate in Oregon,” Governor Ted Kulongoski said. “It is partnerships with the state, Oregon Food Bank Network, local communities, and private sector that help make programs like the Fresh Alliance successful and put food on the table for hungry Oregonians throughout the state.”
Fresh Alliance is a partnership of Oregon Food Bank, its network of regional food banks and local agencies, and leading grocery retailers who work together to safely and effectively collect and distribute high-value perishable foods for people who are hungry in Oregon and Clark County, Wash.
Currently, Fred Meyer has 45 stores in Portland, Redmond, Bend, Medford, Grants Pass, Roseburg, Eugene and areas throughout the state participating in the program with four additional stores in St. Helens, McMinnville, Florence and Coos Bay joining this month. Within the next year, 100 percent of Fred Meyer stores in Oregon will be Fresh Alliance partners. During the last fiscal year, Fred Meyer donated more than 330,000 pounds of meat and more than 380,000 pounds of dairy products through the Fresh Alliance, which combined with other contributions, totaled more than 1.8 million pounds of food to the Oregon Food Bank Network.
“Fred Meyer demonstrates the kind of corporate leadership in the fight against hunger that we need at every level – from senior managers, to food safety managers to store level staff,” Governor Kulongoski said. “Every Fred Meyer employee is knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the Fresh Alliance program – paving the way for the program’s success.”
The United States Department of Agriculture measures hunger in American households in two ways: “Food insecure with hunger” – which means that a family occasionally has to go hungry because they can’t afford food; and “food insecure” – which means that a family can’t afford to eat balanced meals, and is occasionally worried that their food won’t last to the end of the month.
Between 1996 and 1998, Oregon had the worst average rate of “food insecurity with hunger” in the nation – with six percent of Oregonians considered “food insecure with hunger”. The USDA reported last November that Oregon’s rate of food insecurity with hunger declined to 4.3 percent – leaving Oregon now ranked 8th among states in this category.
For more information about Harvest Week, go to: http://governor.oregon.gov/Gov/press_101405.shtml
For more information about Home Harvest Dinners, go 'current topics' at: http://www.governor.oregon.gov
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